Top 10: Worst Male-Bashing Ads

Number 7

Whiskas

While men are regularly called dogs, Whiskas is comparing men to cats. In this worst male-bashing ad, a guy is lazing on top of a sofa. When company comes over, he slides down and asks his wife if they brought food. He finds out they haven’t and he slumps over the edge of the couch like he has an antisocial personality disorder. The message revisits classic male stereotypes: Men are simple, unrefined creatures that need to be given direction. This is similar to previous male cliches on sitcoms like Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Home Improvement where men were reduced to having three interests: sports, food and power tools. This worst male-bashing ad suggests men are still cavemen who just happen to live in houses. Watch and cringe.

Number 6

Domino's

Does this sound familiar? Guy propositions girlfriend/wife for sex, girlfriend/wife rolls her eyes/yawns/laughs and retorts with a variation of: “What’s in it for me?” Cue laugh track. Sitcoms and comics have squeezed every inch of life out of male sexual inadequacy jokes that they’ve now become as limp as their punch lines. Not for Domino’s, however. Clearly, they didn’t think this comic horse was dead and beat it a few more times for laughs. Here again, for the millionth and first time, is the joke of the under-performing man. Watch our No. 6 worst male-bashing ad and contribute your own groan track where you see fit.

Number 5

Sony Cyber-shot

To make sure no one misses the joke in this spot, Sony takes an actual horse, turns it around and gets characters to talk to its rear end like its a dad. The message is about as subtle as a jackhammer: Men are horses’ asses. Like other ads, this one ignores that dads do help their kids with homework, play with them outside, sit in the audience for their plays and recitals, and also work to contribute money toward food, health and the mortgage. With a spot that caters to the lowest common denominator in such an obvious, un-ironic way, perhaps the real horses’ asses are the advertisers who, along with men, consider their audience to be idiots.

Number 4

1st For Women Insurance Brokers

Men are involved in more fatal car accidents than women. Does this make us idiots? This South African insurance company thinks so. This male-bashing ad shows a car full of guys taunting another man who’s trying to get back in their car after a pee break. The driver’s not paying attention, however, and drives off a cliff. Here’s the real story: Men spend around 20% more time driving than women. We still have more fatal car accidents, but in the past 30 years female deaths have increased 14%, while ours have declined by 11%. Plus, evidence shows that women get in more minor accidents than men. Clearly, women aren’t the timid drivers previous stats would suggest. Need more proof? Look at Danica Patrick; not only is she a female driver on the testosterone-heavy Indy circuit, but she’s a winning female driver. Accidents, then, just like modern hiring practices, are an equal-opportunity event.